Inaugural blind conference held to inform future capacity-building efforts, gov’t policies
Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson honours Ingrid Peters for being the longest-serving blind educator in Guyana
Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson honours Ingrid Peters for being the longest-serving blind educator in Guyana

TO make a meaningful impact on the lives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the government is fully aware that it needs to invest more in modern technology. In fact, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson succinctly puts it this way: “We can’t use old methods to deal with new situations.”

Hutson’s comments came at the inaugural National Blind Education Conference that opened last week at the National Library that saw stakeholders from all across the country participating including from Regions Three, Four, Six, 10, etc.

Teachers, students, parents, special education needs officers, senior education officials and many other personalities came together to discuss the challenges plaguing PWDs and agree on some of the practical remedial measures they can use to lobby government and other stakeholders to support blind education in Guyana.

Programme Coordinator of GCOPD Ganesh Singh presents a plaque to Julie Lewis for being the first successful blind student in Guyana to attain tertiary level qualifications

Programme Coordinator of the Guyana Council of Organisations for PWDs (GCOPD), Ganesh Singh, is hopeful that the conference will become an annual one and also that PWDs will receive the necessary support. “We see that the government is doing a lot for PWDs in general and the Minister of Education has been very supportive of special education. So we are optimistic,” he told Pepperpot Magazine in an interview.

The GCOPD used the occasion to honour Ingrid Peters for being the longest-serving blind educator in Guyana and Julie Lewis for being the first successful blind student in Guyana to attain tertiary-level qualifications.

“This is a conference on blind education and we are happy to be a part of it because we will be able to glean from the participants what are some of their struggles and how we as a ministry can enhance the delivery of blind education in Guyana,” Hutson related to this publication.

During his remarks, he referred to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Four which speaks to inclusivity and equity in access. “These are the areas that we are constantly investing large sums of resources in so that generally, special education needs persons can access quality education and live purpose driven lives,” he said, adding, “We know we need to invest more in modern technology – something that our plan is addressing. The Government is very keen on moving this forward and we’ll see in our national budget more funds being allocated.”

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson (center) having a light conversation with NCD Vidushi Persaud and GCOPD Programme Coordinator Ganesh Singh

Chair of the National Commission on Disability (NCD) Vidushi Persaud offered that coming out of the conference, the NCD hopes that there will be a monthly drive with the purpose of bringing a heightened focus on the blind and visually impaired community and the realities of living without sight.

She commended the ‘tireless’ work of the Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the GCOPD and said the public should be made aware of the equipment used in Blind Education and the materials and teaching aids that are needed to enhance learning in such a setting.

“We at the Commission on Disability are cognizant of the fact that there is a growing awareness among parents, teachers, blind youth, and the adult blind community that the education which blind children are receiving is regrettably failing them. We hope that the panel discussions and breakout sessions today will result in strong practical recommendations which can ensure that our Nursery, Primary and Secondary school children in Guyana receive a quality education which can prepare them to compete in the demanding high tech economy and today’s society.”

Persaud said that young blind students must be empowered to learn to use and trust alternative techniques. “They need to develop positive attitudes toward their blindness…if they are to become mature, responsible, productive adults.”

Stakeholders from across the country came together for the inaugural blind conference

She noted that the NCD was pleased Dr. Hutson and Senior Education Officials were present at the conference since its findings will inform future capacity-building efforts and government policies.

The conference was a partnership with GCOPD and the Ministry of Education Resource Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired and it was supported by the International Foundation of Electoral Systems and USAID through the Community Action Initiative.

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